Bowling ball and shoe bag



Aug. 16, 1966 R. l. ANDERSON ET L 3,266,605

BOWLING BALL AND SHOE BAG NVENTORS DEDSON l QOBEQT LAN ROBERT C. KELLEY United States Patent Q 3,266,605 BOWLING BALL AND SHOE BAG Robert I. Anderson, Spring Lake, and Robert C. Kelley, Muskegon, Mich., assignors to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 358,515 11 Claims. (Cl. 190-48) This invention relates to a portable bowling ball container, and more particularly, to a portable bowling ball container having new and improved means for supporting and securing a bowling ball carried therein from movement within the container.

Bowling ball carriers of this general type known today require the assembling of a number of component parts during manufacture. Other carriers do not adequately locate and hold the ball to prevent movement in any direction within the carrier.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a new and improved portable container of the type described which facilitates manufacture in a simplified economical manner.

Another object is to provide a new and improved carrier of the type described formed of two identical molded halves, each having molded integrally therewith means for preventing movement of a bowling ball carried therein.

Another object is to provide a new and improved carrier having integrally molded hinges and an integrally molded handle.

Another object is to provide a new and improved bowling ball container having arcuately indented ribs for engaging a bowling ball placed therein to prevent its motion within the container when the container is closed.

An extension of the previous object is to provide a new and improved set of ribs mounted inside the carrier in a manner so as not to restrict the internal volume of the carrier or limit the exterior design of the same.

A further object is to provide a new and improved bowling ball carrier of a relatively rigid material having ribs formed integrally therein for releasably grasping and holding a bowling ball wherein the ribs are of suflicient resiliency so as to grasp, but not mar, the surface of a bowling ball.

An entension of the previous object is to provide a new and improved bowling ball carrier having integrally molded therein a pair of concave supporting ribs for engaging and supporting the bottom surface of a bowling ball.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a bowling ball and shoe bag embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bag taken on the line 22 of FIG. 3 -and showing the bag fully open;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mating edges of the bag shown in FIG. 3, which shows the tongue and groove construction more clearly; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the hinge construction used to join the halves together at their bottom.

3,256,655 Patented August 16, 1966 While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a bowling ball end shoe bag 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention includes a pair of identical molded shells or sections which open concavely towards each other and are hingedly connected together at the bottom as at 16 by means of hinge pin 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the shells may be swung open about hinge pin 18 to permit access into the bag. The degree to which the bag may be open is limited by linkage 20 which consists of a pair of elongate links 22 and 24 pivotally connected together at one end of each link by rivet 26. Link 22 is pivotally attached at its other end to an inner surface of section 12 by rivet 28, and link 24 is pivotally attached at its other end to .an inner surface of section 14 by rivet 30. Linkage 20 is preferably provided with stop means as at 31 to prevent alignment of links 22 and 24 into a locked position, so as to facilitate closing the bag, and also with detent means including a hole 33 on link 24 and a detent on link 22 (not shown) for holding the bag 10 open when in its openmost position. When the shells are swung together, exposed edges 32 and 34 meet to form a hollow enclosure having portions 36, as shown in FIG. 3, suitable for carrying a bowling ball, and also portions .38 and 40 suitable for carrying several pairs of bowling shoes or the like. A pair of latches, shown generally at 42, are provided at the top of the bag to releasably lock the shells in a closed condition.

The shells are preferably molded of a plastic material, such as polypropylene, which is suificiently soft and resilient so as to snugly grip a bowling ball without marring it, yet bot-h lightweight and adequately rigid to maintain its molded shape.

Each section consists of a single molding having a horizontal bottom wall 44; a generally U-shaped upright wall 46 joined together at its midportions by a contoured upright wall 48 recessed from the plane of upright wall 46; an upper wall 50' extending transversely of upright walls 46 and 48 of a generally inverted hat-shaped cross section when viewed in a plane parallel upright Wall 46; a pair of end walls 52 joining the bottom wall, the upright wall 46, and upper portions of the upper wall 50; and a series of ball supporting ribs to be described hereinaf-ter.

The exposed edges 32 of the bottom, upper, and end walls of shell 12 lie substantially in the same plane for mating with the corresponding edges 34 of shell 14. Proper alignment and sealing of the edges is facilitated by a tongue-and-groove construction, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. One-half of each section is provided with a tongue and the other half with a groove, as defined by a vertical plane passing through the center of the bag and perpendicular to the mating edges, so that the two sections may be identical to each other and still provide a tongueand-groove connection around substantially their entire mating edges. This construction facili- 3 tates alignment of the shells as they are closed and also adds substantial rigidity when the carrier is in its closed position.

The bottom wall of each section has molded integrally therebeneath a pair of feet 56 and a number of hinges 58 so arranged as to properly mate with the corresponding feet and hinge eyes on the other identical section which is placed complementary therewith. The upper surfaces of the upper wall 50 are joined together near their exposed edge portions by a strap 60 integrally molded with the bag It} which forms one-half of a carrying handle, it being understood that the other half is on the other shell and the entire handle is formed when the shells are closed.

Each shell has integrally molded therein a number of ribs or webs which support and hold a bowling ball against movement inside the bag when the two shells are closed. The outermost of these ribs consists of a pair of identical ribs 62 disposed in parallel vertical planes perpendicular to the shells mating edges and spaced apart laterally a distance less than the diameter of a bowling ball. Each of these outermost ribs is joined to the bottom, upright, and upper wall, and has on its exposed edge an arcuate indentation or recess 64 of a radius less than that of a bowling ball. 'Ihese indentations are substantially semicircular so that, upon closure of the bowling bag, they [form a substantially circular recess of a diameter less than that of a bowling ball. When the bag is closed, the two sets of ribs form a pair of circular cradles for engaging the surface of a bowling ball placed therebetween and preventing its movement in any direction.

Each section also carries a second pair of webs 66 spaced between and parallel to the ribs 62. This second pair of webs is connected to the inner surface of bottom wall 4 4, upright wall 46, and a horizontal supporting rib 63, as seen in FIG. 2. Each rib 65 carries on an exposed edge an arcuate indentation 7t} concentric with but recessed into the shell more than arcuate indentations 64. The function of these ribs is to engage the lower portions of a bowling ball and assist in supporting its weight. Supporting rib 68 lies in a generally horizontal plane extending between ribs 62 and is integrally attached to ribs 62, ribs 64, and wall 48. Its outwardly exposed edge is also arcuately curved to conform to the surface of a bowling ball.

When the transporting device is open, as can be best seen in FIG. 2, a bowling ball may be inserted into the bag so as to be supported by the webs 62 and 66 of one of the sections. Other objects such as bowling shoes, clothes, or the like may be inserted into internal portions 38 and 40. Upon closing the device, the webs in the other section move into engagement with the ball on opposite sides thereof and prevent its motion in any direction inside of the bag.

We claim:

1. A bowling ball carrier comprising, a pair of identical shells hingedly connected together in complementary fashion for forming a hollow enclosure when the shells are pivoted towards each other, said shells each being generally symmetrical about a center line therethrough and each shell having an elongate peripheral edge aligned for engagement with a corresponding elongate peripheral edge on the other shell, the symmetrical halves of the peripheral edges of each shell being different, at least one portion of the edge of one half of each shell having a protrusion toward the other shell and at least one portion of the edge of the other half of each shell having a depression in a direction leading away from the other shell, at least a portion of the protrusion of one half of one shell being peripherally spaced from at least a portion of the depression of the other half of said one shell and the protrusion of each shell being adjacent to the depression of the other shell and so positioned that when the shells are closed upon one another the protrusion 4 and depression of each shell interfit with the depression and protrusion respectively of the other shell to assist the alignment of said shells and increase their rigidity, and means integral with each shell for supporting a bowling ball when placed therein.

2. A bowling ball carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said shells are hingedly connected by hinge eyes impaled by a hinge pin, said'hinge eyes consisting of a plurality of projections on each shell formed integrally therewith and so positioned as to permit the projections of one shell to lie adjacent the projections of the other shell for connection therewith by said pin.

3. A bowling ball carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shells has a half of a carrying handle formed integrally therewith at its upper portion, said handle halves being located such that the half on each section moves adjacent the other half upon closing of the carrier to thereby form an entire handle.

4-. A bowling ball carrying case, comprising: a pair of hollow, generally similar sections; each section including an upper wall, a lower wall, a generally upright side wall connecting the upper and lower walls, and a pair of end Walls to form an enclosure opening generally in the direction of the other section; means hingedly connecting each section to the other along an edge of one of said walls; each section having formed integrally therewith and therein a pair of generally parallel webs spaced apart laterally a distance less than the diameter of a bowling ball, each web extending inwardly from the side wall of its respective enclosure between the upper and lower walls thereof, said Webs having an exposed upright edge with a generally semi-circular indentation therein of a radius less than that of a bowling ball for engaging and supporting a bowling ball and providing line contact therewith upon closure of the sections; and handle means associated with the case for carrying the same.

5. A bowling ball carrying case as defined in claim 4 wherein each section includes a further pair of spaced parallel webs spaced between the first mentioned pair of parallel webs therein.

6. A bowling ball carrying case as defined in claim 4 wherein each section includes a generally horizontal web extending transversely of the pair of webs therein between the ends thereof.

7. A bowling ball carrier comprising: wall members defining generally hollow first and second sections, means hingedly connecting said sections together for movement between an open and a closed position, a pair of spaced generally parallel supports in said first section and integral with at least one wall member thereof, means for supporting a bowling ball in said first section when said sections are in open position including an arcuate indentation in an exposed edge of each support, the curvature of said indentations being related to the diameter of a bowling ball in such a manner to provide line contact with a ball positioned therebetween, and means in said second section for holding a ball against said supports when said sections are in closed position. I

8. A bowling ball carrier as defined in claim 7 where n said last named means includes at least one support m said second section, said support having an arcuate 1ndentation in an exposed edge thereof providing line contact with a ball and holding the same against the supports in said first section when said sections are in closed position.

9. A bowling ball carrying case as defined in claim 8 wherein a pair of parallel, generally identical supports are provided in said second section.

10. A bowling ball carrier as defined in claim 9 wherein the supports in said second section are aligned with the supports in said first section.

11. A bowling ball carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein each shell includes an upper wall, a lower wall, a generally upright side wall connecting the upper and lower walls, and a pair of end walls extending between said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1949 Haney 15052 6/1962 Belokin 150-52 5/1929 Drehmann 211-14 Rauner 21114 Abraham et a1. 25052 Kaplan ISO-52 Kaufman ISO-52 Kivett 15052 Rebka 190-48 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. HUGO O. SCHULZ, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

Examiners.

J. OLDS, J. F. MCNULTY, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A BOWLING BALL CARRIER COMPRISING, A PAIR OF IDENTICAL SHELLS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TOGETHER IN COMPLEMENTARY FASHION FOR FORMING A HOLLOW ENCLOSURE WHEN THE SHELLS ARE PIVOTED TOWARDS EACH OTHER, SAID SHELLS EACH BEING GENERALLY SYMMETRICAL ABOUT A CENTER LINE THERETHROUGH AND EACH SHELL HAVING AN ELONGATE PERIPHERAL EDGE ALIGNED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING ELONGATE PERIPHERAL EDGE ON THE OTHER SHELL, THE SYMMETRICAL HALVES OF THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF EACH SHELL BEING DIFFERENT, AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF THE EDGE OF ONE HALF OF EACH SHELL HAVING A PROTRUSION TOWARD THE OTHER SHELL AND AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF THE EDGE OF THE OTHER HALF OF EACH SHELL HAVING A DEPRESSION IN A DIRECTION LEADING AWAY FROM THE OTHER SHELL, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE PROTRUSION OF ONE HALF OF ONE SHELL BEING PERIPHERALLY SPACED FROM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE DEPRESSION OF THE OTHER HALF OF SAID ONE SHELL AND THE PROTRUSION OF EACH SHELL BEING ADJACENT TO THE DEPRESSION OF THE OTHER SHELL AND SO POSITIONED THAT WHEN THE SHELLS ARE CLOSED UPON ONE ANOTHER THE PROTRUSION AND DEPRESSION OF EACH SHELL INTERFIT WITH THE DEPRESSION AND PROTRUSION RESPECTIVELY OF THE OTHER SHELL TO ASSIST THE ALIGNMENT OF SAID SHELLS AND INCREASE THEIR RIGIDITY, AND MEANS INTEGRAL WITH EACH SHELL FOR SUPPORTING A BOWLING BALL WHEN PLACED THEREIN. 